


When Nino quits Arashi

by icecreamsuki



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3474614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icecreamsuki/pseuds/icecreamsuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Referring to Arashi no Shukudai-kun episode 18 (Feb 5, 2007), when Nino jokingly said that he wanted to do solo activities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Nino quits Arashi

After the shooting for that episode, they retreated back to their greenroom like they always do after every shooting. While they have already settled down in their respective seats, with Nino alone in a couch playing with his DS, Aiba started to strike a topic.

“Nino-chan, is it true that you want to do solo activities? Like what? You want to join me in playing with animals?” Aiba asked excitedly.

“No, thanks, Aiba-chan. Only you have the ability to converse with animals; I wouldn’t want to steal that character from you,” Nino said barely glancing away from his game.

“Movies?” Sho asked tersely as he was neatly folding the newspaper that he was reading that morning.

“Yeah.. about that.." Nino started hesitantly. "After Letters from Iwo Jima, some bigshot Hollywood producers have been offering jobs for me..”

“Uwaaaaaa! Sugeeeee! Nino-chan will be appearing in more Hollywood movies! You’ll be known internationally!” Aiba mused.

“Yeah.. about that..” Nino said, uneasy about the topic, and losing his usual self-confidence. “They said it would take about half a year or so of filming in America.”

“What do you mean?” Jun asked sharply, brows furrowed.

“It means I will be in America and won’t be returning for half a year.” Nino said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“But for Hollywood movies like that, won’t you be touring internationally to promote the movie and all? Won’t that take more than half a year?” Sho asked.

“Oh, but that’s okay, ne Nino? We can take over your job for a while! We can take turns in—“ Aiba said, in his usual positive stance.

“More than half a year is not a while.” Jun snapped.

“Have you talked to the President about this?” Sho asked, worried of what was to come.

“He said that if I accept the offer, I would have to quit Arashi.” Nino stated it, even though it still felt surreal to him. Aiba gasped.

“And?” Sho persisted.

The room was silent. No one dared to speak as the four searched Nino’s facial expression and nonverbal gestures as he was still trying to defeat the boss in the game he was playing. 

It had been a full five minutes when nobody spoke a word. Just then, a hand grabbed Nino’s DS and threw it to the side, landing in another couch. Nino was taken aback that he wasn’t able to save his game.

“What the hell, Oh-chan! I was this close to finishing the—“

“Is that game more important than us?” Ohno asked softly. However, it was when Ohno was using a soft tone that he was scarier. “Are you going to accept the offer?”

“What choice do I have? My mother is sick! I need money badly and as soon as possible! The producers would already give me enough money once I accept their offer!” 

“So you’re going to throw away Arashi just like that?” Ohno asked, still using his soft tone.

“Riida, please! Don’t make this hard for me..” Nino pleaded, already in the verge of tears. 

“Do you think this is easy for us?” Ohno’s voice was softer than ever. Nino could feel his own heart breaking into pieces as he sank further in the couch. 

Aiba was already crying softly when he came up with an idea. “Ahh, I see!! This is just one of your Ni no Arashi antics! Ne, Nino? Let me see.. where are the cameras hidden?” Aiba started looking at crevices in the room where the cameras may be hidden.

“Shut up!” Nino yelled exasperatedly. “You know what, I’m sure your lives would all be easier when I’m gone. No more insults directed at any of you on national television. No more insults to the guests which you have to apprehend. No one to put you on the spot and make you do embarrassing things. No one—”

“Nino, Arashi is the five of—” Sho cut Nino’s sentence to try to put some sense into him.

“Well, you can always stage an audition to search for a cooler and a more good-looking replacement; I’m sure a lot of guys would want to take my place. The fans would be delighted! Hahaha!” Nino said sourly.

“Are you really serious, Nino?” Sho asked, concerned. More than the group, he was more worried about Nino at the moment. It may just be one of those spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment things that Nino had the tendency to come up with. Sho didn’t want Nino to regret anything.

“Wait! I can’t accept this!” Jun said heatedly. Aiba was still softly crying while listening to them.

“Yes, Sho-kun, I am serious. And it’s really not for you to decide, Jun.” Nino answered trying to keep his voice from breaking.

“Ni - nino-chan,” Aiba weakly called out. All four heads turned to where Aiba was. “Have you forgotten about our dream? That Arashi will be at the top someday…” Aiba asked through blurry eyes.

“No.” Nino answered. This time, he couldn’t prevent his voice from breaking anymore. “I will never forget… But me quitting shouldn’t stop you guys from pursuing that dream.” 

That was it. Manliness be damned. All five of them just burst forth their emotions and started wailing and hugging each other. Memories of their years together flashed before them; they didn’t want the moment to end.

After what felt like half an hour or so, a knock came on the door of their greenroom.

“Ninomiya-san.” Nino’s manager called out. “The President wants to speak with you.”

Nino reluctantly stood up and turned to the other four. He bowed lowly and bade them goodbye. He let out an innocent smile in place of words of farewell.

The four were left speechless. No one had the energy to speak or even move from where they were sitting.

After a few minutes or so, another knock came from the door.

“Arashi-san, just reminding you that you will be appearing in Music Station today. The van will be leaving in 10 minutes. Please get ready.”

It barely registered to them what the guy said, but Sho, being the responsible one alerted them that they should get up, fix their things and get ready.

\-----

At the Music Station studio, they heard a lot of screams from the fans. With Nino gone, will the number of their fans decrease? Will there be more gossips and negative rumors about their group? Questions like those didn’t matter much to them. They want to protect Arashi as much as they wish for Nino’s happiness. 

It is a custom in Music Station that there was a talk part first before the performance. They were assigned to perform Love so Sweet for that day.

“Arashi! How come there are only four of you? Where is Ninomiya-san?” Tamori-san, one of the hosts of Music Station, asked.

The four panicked. They haven’t really discussed how to answer a question like that. The shock of Nino leaving them hasn’t even been lifted, for heaven’s sake! As usual, Sho took matters in his hands.

“Well, Nino is currently busy with Letters from Iwo Jima so he wouldn’t be joining us today.” Sho stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh, I see..” Tamori-san answered. “But I just saw him a while ago.”

“Eh?” the four chorused.

“Ninomiya-san!” Tamori-san called out.

Nino entered with a huge smile plastered on his face, a smile that reached his eyes, in a manner of speaking. He waved at the audience. He waved at the hosts and the other guests. And lastly, he waved at the four, who didn’t know how to react.

When the clappings and screamings died down, Tamori-san took over. “Actually, Ninomiya-san approached me earlier because he wanted to give something to the four of you.”

When the camera was focused on Nino, he just displayed his signature smirk and bowed. 

An A.D. entered bringing four pieces of folded white paper, and gave them to Nino.

Nino distributed them to the members. “Don’t open it until I say so.”

The four wondered what this act could mean. Could this be his fashionable way of saying goodbye? They wondered.

“Ready, open!” Nino said.

After opening, Ohno stared at what was written with a pout on his face. Sho snorted, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Jun crumpled the paper while looking angrily at Nino. Aiba yelled an “OIII!!”

What was written on all pieces of paper was the same.

‘Ni no Arashi’, just like what appears every time Nino reveals his prank.

“NINO-CHAAAAN! You told me it was not a Ni no Arashi prank!!” Aiba complained at Nino.

“Aiba-chan, refresh your memory a bit. Did I deny that it was a Ni no Arashi prank? I just told you to shut up..” Nino answered consolingly.

“We’ve prepared a VTR for this. Please watch.” Tamori-san suddenly said.

“EH???” the four were alarmed. 

“No. I will never forget…”   
“But me quitting shouldn’t stop you guys from pursuing that dream.” 

The VTR showed them crying and hugging one another.

“What was that? An acting workshop?” Jun said, still irritated that Nino pulled off another prank on them.

“As expected of the receiver of the most Best Actor awards among us.” Sho said, marveling at how believable Nino’s act was.

“Eh? You’re not going to quit Arashi?” Ohno asked innocently, unable to read the atmosphere.

“Riidaaaaa..” the other four said lovingly.

The five of them performed Love so Sweet, ignoring the supposed dance movements for the song, but just put their arms over each other’s shoulders instead savoring the reality that the five of them are still together and still pursuing that dream of being the top.


End file.
